Method and means for constructing matrices for stereotypes



Sept. 19, 1933. R. D. GOULD ET AL METHOD AND MEANS FOR CONSTRUCTING MATRICES FOR STEREOTYPES Filed April 20, 1932 s Rb m 3% N fi R E 0 2. MT 2 WWW dsfl F W Patented Sept. 19, 1933 METHOD AND MEANS FOR CONSTRUCTING MATRICES FOR STEREOTYPES Robert D. Gould and Walter J. Bohn, Detroit, Mich.; said Bohn assignor to said Gould Application April 20, 1932. Serial No. 606,306

4 claims. 101-4011) Our invention relates to methods and means for constructing stereotype and particularly to the methods and means utilized for constructing a matrix from which stereo plates 'are con- 5 structed.

Heretofore plaster or papier mach were employed for constructing the matrices from which stereo plates, used in printing, were cast, or zinc etchings were required. This entailed a considerable outlay of equipment, required a considerable expenditure of time and labor and was comparatively expensive over the present method which we have invented as a substitute for the plaster and the papier mach process.

In accordance with our invention we provide indicia in the nature of letters, numerals, figures or the like which are cut in cardboard or similar material and which are retained thereon by small portions of material which are not entirely cut through so that the indicia are made available by merely picking them from the cardboard strip and'pasting them on a mat. A separate paste may be employed, but we preferably gum one side of the indicia or cardboard from which the indicia are cut. The mat may be cardboard, heavy paper, metal, wood or any material well known to be suitable for the purpose. It is to be understood that the indicia may be of any size and we prefer to provide the strips with the letters of the alphabet, numerals and other indicia of various sizes so that the stereo plate may be made of any size indicia or combination thereof. The letters are pasted on the mat in predetermined relation to each other to spell a particular word or words and the matrix thus formed is ready for casting which is done in the conventional manner.

Accordingly, the main objects of our invention are to provide indicia of predetermined sizes and shapes to be assembled on a surface, to form a matrix from which stereo plates may be cast; to provide the indicia in the nature of letters of the alphabet, numerals and other characters and trimming cut in strips of pasteboard which have been cut therethrough by a die, except at minute points, to have the indicia retained. in the strips by the material hich is not quite cuttherethrough at these points so as to support and protect the indicia until they are ready for use; to provide indicia which are die cut, from material of predetermined thickness to be used to construct a matrix from which the stereo plate is formed from which printing may be eflected; and, in general, to provide indicia for a matrix from which stereo plates may be constructed which are economical of manufacture and simple in construction and use.

Other objects and features of novelty of our invention will be either specifically pointed out or will become apparent when referring for a better understanding of our invention, to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a plan view of a strip of cardboard having indicia cut therein in accordance with our invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlargedsectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on the line 2-2 thereof;

Fig. 345 a broken plan view of the indicia after being removed from the cardboard strip illustrated in Fig. 1 and mounted in predetermined relation to each other on a mat;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a broken plan View of the mat, illustrated in Fig. 3, with the plate cast thereon;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional View of the structure illustrated in Fig. 5 showing the cast plate upon the mat, and

Fig. 7 is a reduced broken view of the stereo plate after mat has been removed therefrom.

In Fig. 1 we have illustrated a strip of cardboard 10 having cut therein indicia in the nature of letters of the alphabet 11 which are spaced apart in separate sections formed by the line of cut 12 and 13 between which the uncut material 14 forms a holding means for retaining the sections together as a unit to form the strip 10. The letters are cut by a die in a press, the blades being assembled together in the outline of the letters and disposed on the face of the press against which a table is movable. The card is positioned in a predetermined manner on the table which is moved against the die and suitable pressure applied for causing the blades to pass entirely through the card. Suflicient material is uncut at minute points shown at 16 in Fig. 2, to retain the letters in position in the strip or sections and which is so thin as to permit the letters to be pushed from the sections with clean-cut edges throughout their entire periphery, as shown in dot-and-dash outline. The letters are retained in the strip in this manner for protection and for the convenience in shipping and storing. When a set of letters are employed, those not used may be filed away in compartments in the same manner as the type are stored, according to alphabet. The characters are actually clean cut, as will be noted by holding them to Tiny points at corners hold them in is preferably constructed. of a cardboard or heavy paper material, although the mat may be made of any other material well known to be suitable, such as metal, wood or the like, which has pasted, as at 19 in Fig. 6, or otherwise secured thereon the indicia 11, which are herein shown as letters of the alphabet assembled to form the word sale. In Fig. i it is readily apparent how these letters are raised above the mat 3.5 when the matrix has been completely formed, ready for the casting operation.

In Fig. 5 we have shown the portion of the matrix illustrated in Fig. 3 with the lead 17 cast thereon to form the stereoplate 18 which is elffected in the well known manner. The matrix is first placed in the casting box and held in position by two steel gauges which determine the thickness of the plate and prevent the molten metal from running out of the bottom and side of the box. The box is then closed and the metal is poured over the letters to form the plate. This is done in the well known manner and need not be described further. In Fig. 6, however, we have illustrated an enlarged sectional View of the plate and matrix after the metal is cast thereon and hardened and ready to have the matrix removed therefrom. In Fig. 'l we have shown a plan view of the stereo plate made from the matrix illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 which may be employed for printing a black mat on paper which outlines the letters which do not print. The stereo plate thus formed may be employed in the well known manner alone or in conjunction with type for printing hand bills or papers, as is well known.

By the same method the letters or other indicia 11 may be cut in reverse, that is to say, out in the form illustrated in Fig. 7 and mounted in this manner on the mat 15 to form a matrix which is a negative from which a plate may be having raised indicia thereon in negative order,

from which a positive print may be made, having the letters or indicia appear as printed from type.

While we have described and illustrated but a single embodiment of our invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes, omissions, additions and substitutions may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope at our invention as set forth in the accompanying claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. The method of constructing a stereo plate which includes the steps, of pasting indicia of cardboard on a mat in predetermined relation to each other, and of casting metal to form the plate directly upon the mat.

2. The method of forming stereo plates which includes the steps, of die cutting indicia from coardboard of predetermined thickness, of pasting such indicia in predetermined relation on a coardboard mat in the order in which. they are to appear on a printed page, and casting a plate from metal directly upon the mat so formed.

3. The method of forming a printing plate which includes the steps of die cutting indicia from a material of predetermined thickness, of gluing one side of said material, pasting said indicia in predetermined order on a mat, placing a casting frame about said indicia on said mat, and pouring a metal said box to form said plate with the indicia indented therein.

4. The method of forming a printing plate which includes the steps of die cutting indicia from a material of predetermined thickness, of gluing one side of said material, of pasting said indicia in predetermined order on a cardboard mat, placing a casting frame about said indicia on said mat, pouring a metal in said box to form said plate, removing said plate from said box, and destroying said mat and indicia.

ROBERT D. GOULD. WALTER J. BOHN. 

